Merry Tossman 2008!

If you believe it's time for the secularization of Christmas to end. Then here's an opportunity for you and I to participate in this Christmas Campaign that Focus on the Family has launched.  It's call "Merry Tossmas." Tonight I signed the petition and learned of stores that are more friendly towards Christmas.

Please click here to read more this new holiday hat Stuart Shepard launched last year to combat stores that have marginalized Christmas.

Give Me Jesus

Although I never met Ruth Graham personally, her life impacted my life. We have several of the Grahams books. Now since she has gone home to be with Jesus. I will treasure them all the more.  

Click here to listen to the tribute to her by Fernando Ortega. She was an incredible godly wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Eternity will bear witness as to the fruit of her labor. What a tremendous legacy she leaves for her family and the many lives she touched around the world.

Thank you Ruth for being a faithful servant of God!

While You Were Sleeping - Casting Crowns

Here's another poignant song. We dedicate it to all our men and women in our Armed Forces. Thank you and we appreciate each one of you!

Click here to view it on You Tube.

It's About The Cross!

Here's another Christmas song by the Go Fish Guys.

Please click here to view it on You Tube.

Christmas with a Capital "C"

Last December, I posted the link to "Christmas with a Capital C," by the Go Fish Guys. Here's version 2 of the same song.

Please click here to view it on You Tube.

Preparing for Advent

As we enter the Christmas season, are we preparing ourselves for Jesus? Or will we be caught up with all the hustle and bustle of the season that our focus becomes skewed? My challenge to myself as well as to each of us is that we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus' birth.

One way in particular is the celebration of Advent. Thanks to Rob's Mom and researching the subject, I have become a little more knowledgeable on the subject. I must confess that I still have a long way to go. However, the joy of Advent is learning as you go.

Last year, I picked up a ParentLife magazine at church during the month of November and it had an excellent article about Advent by Lisa Whelchel (who starred on "The Facts of Life."). Here is an excerpt from that article.

"It is exciting to have someone special come visit, isn't it? That is what Advent is all about. The word Advent means " to come," and refers to Jesus coming to earth as a baby. Advent is about looking forward to celebrating the day when God stepped into history as a human being.

. . . As you incorporate Advent traditions into  your family celebration, do not neglect to point your hope toward an even more exciting visitation. Advent is also a good time to prepare your heart and life by looking inside to see if there is anything that needs cleaning up as you look forward to the appearance of Jesus' second coming! May the preparation and the visitation, the 

seeking and the finding, the promise and the fulfillment, bring you and your family much joy this Christmas season."

[A personal interjection - We spend a lot of time celebrating the Jesus' first coming His birth, and rightly so. Lisa's exhortation and gentle reminder for each of us to prepare our hearts and to look forward to Jesus' second coming is worthy of our consideration and self-examination.]

At the conclusion of the article, she explained how to utilize an Advent Wreath. I have taken the time to type out her explanation just as it was written in her article because I found it helpful and I am certain you will, too.

Advent Wreath

Join in the celebration with an Advent Wreath. This circle of evergreen reminds us of God's forever love, a love that has no beginning and no end. Four candles --- three purple and one pink --- stand amid the greenery. A white candle stands in the center.

The first purple candle is called Prophecy or the Hope candle. It invites you to thank God for the hope you have in Jesus, the prophesied Messiah.

The second purple candle is called Bethlehem or Peace. In Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace was born so that sinners could be at peace with the holy God.

The pink Shepherd's candle, or Joy, celebrates the good tidings of great joy that is for all people: Christ is born!

The final purple candle is called Angel or Love. Joining with the heavenly hosts that first Christmas night, we say, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!" (Luke 2:14).

Love entered the world through the birth of Jesus, represented by the white Christ candle. Jesus came to die as punishment for our sins. That is amazing love --- a love worth taking four weeks to think about.

Purchase an Advent wreath or make one with a circle of evergreen and five candles. Light the first purple on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. On the next Sunday, light both the first and second purple candles. Two Sundays before Christmas, light the first two purple candles as well as the pink candle. Light the last purpose candle with the other three on the Sunday before Christmas. On Christmas Day, light all four candles and the white Christ candle. As you light each candle, talk about what it represents and how its meaning can fuel your family's excitement for what Christmas is really all about."

Advent 2008 Schedule

* 1st Sunday is November 30

* 2nd Sunday is December 7

* 3rd Sunday is December 14

* 4th Sunday is December 21

* Christmas Day

Please note there are various ways to celebrate Advent. I thought this particular explanation could benefit families who might be celebrating Advent for the first time.

Throughout the Christmas season, I shall be sharing many thoughts, ideas and reflections with each of you. Some will be original while some will be similar to what I have shared in this posting.

Please check in often because you will not want to miss any of our Christmas Celebration.

Come,Let Us Worship the King!

[Advent & Advent Wreath Explanations copied from an article by Lisa Whelcel, November 2007, ParentLife magazine (Lifeway publication), pages 32-34]

Life's Discoveries

As I make my journey into "blogging," I continue to discover like-minded sisters in Christ. This morning, I clicked on the blog, "Windows to My Soul," and read Vicki's posting for Tuesday, November 18 entitled, "Truth: Revealed or Recycled?" 

Please take the time to read the whole entry. I know that you will be equally encouraged as I was. Thank you Vicki for sharing your thoughts, heart and journey with each of us.  Click here to read the whole article.

Thanksgiving Day's Reflections

    

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

"O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; 

make know His doings among the peoples!

1 Chronicles 16:8

What a wonderful day we have had. We started off being able to bless another family with a Thanksgiving flag. Perhaps next year, we will have a new one with more of a sacred theme.

At breakfast, we had pumpkin quick bread which was delicious. I found this recipe off the web along with a variety of ways to make pumpkin bread. This particular recipe caught my attention because the sugar quantity was reasonable.

Here's what we had today for our Thanksgiving Meal.  Both Rob and I prepared it together.

Thanksgiving Meal  

*  Baked whole chicken (stuffed w/celery, onion, garlic and a 1/4 cup of frozen peppers); used the Reynold's cooking bags which always do such a wonderful job and easy clean up.

*  Stuffing - modified the recipe off the back of Martin's Potato Bread Soft Cubed Stuffing; able to utilize the following fresh herbs ~ thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley (off our back porch); added a 12 oz package of cranberries in our double boiler. The cranberries added extra flavoring and coloring to our stuffing.

*  Gravy - Heinz chicken gravy in a jar; quick and easy; very tasty

*  Rolls - bag of 8 from Shoppers; we opted for easy and these do not have a lot of sodium in them. Smart balance butter, the kind with less sodium.

*  Vegetables - fresh mashed sweet potatoes (prepared by Rob; a fantastic job); steamed butternut squash, steam snap peas (in our double steamer); raw zucchini and carrots for Christine; 

*  Fruit - fresh cranberry relish that Rob had prepared; follow the recipe on the bag except we added less sugar; 100% Cranberry juice with Canada Dry Ginger ale mixed together for our beverage

We snacked a little while waiting but not a lot.  After Rob prepared what he needed to prepare, he and Christine watched the movie, "Pocahontas, Her True Story. I continue to put the finishing touches on our meal and added more of our Thanksgiving decorations to our table and around the house.  I had earlier lit some candles which made the whole house seem extra festive.

Then it was time for me to clean up and prepare myself for our meal. On my way upstairs, I shared with Rob and Christine that after our meal, that we would be making our Thanksgiving cards for each other.  At first, both Rob and Christine balked at the idea but quickly changed their minds as I sat out the stamps, ink pads, card stock, construction paper, markers, and special scissors. Rob did confess that it was quite therapeutic. What had inspired me was a card that I found earlier today that I had made for Rob and Christine 4 Thanksgiving ago. We each made 2 cards and now they are scattered throughout our house as a tangible reminder of our love for each other.

So many times, we think of ideas to do at Thanksgiving and perhaps we don't accomplish them or we even say, "I'll wait until next year."  It's also easy to be tempted to allow the snare of perfection to enslave us and detour in celebrating the NOW.  I can say with great certainty that we had an awesome Thanksgiving Day all day long.  We made a lot of wonderful memories all day along.

Late afternoon, my younger brother, John called to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving.  My older brother and his family were in Tulsa to celebrate with John's family.  I so appreciate their calls at Thanksgiving especially since both of our parents are in Heaven, it's very important that we connect at the holidays.  Keith shared that Mary, his wife wants to try to come to Virginia next year for Thanksgiving.  Wow, that would be totally cool!  John also shared that he has a business meeting in Philadelphia on December 11 and wants to try to connect with us around that time.  I'm personally praying that he would stay over and come to his niece's piano recital on the 12th of December. If we just get to see him on the 11th, that would bless this sister's heart immensely. 

You know how it is whenever you have a heart's desire and no one knows about it but when God answers it, you know He did it!  That is how I felt about my brother's extra attention earlier today. At times, the distance between Texas/Oklahoma and Virginia seems great but today such was not the case.  Praise God His answered prayer!

Later on, we called Rob's Mom. She was at Auntie Jackie's house along with other family members from Rob's side of the family. Mom was in good spirits. Our niece from California was in so Mom was able to see both Britta and her brother Stefan. Thanksgiving at Auntie Jackie is always a lot fun plus she an awesome cook.

We also were able to connect with Rob's Dad and Elaine. They had just arrived home. Rob was able to have a good visit with his Dad.

As we concluded our day, Christine watched the DVD, "The Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, a movie we had checked out from the library. We also checked out the book as well. We would highly recommend both the book and the DVD. We will be reading it to Christine this weekend.

God is good all the time and He is faithful period. Even when we don't understand or see what He has in mind, His ways are always best. We pray that each of you have had a blessed Thanksgiving today. 

Thanksgiving blessings from our family to yours!

Count Your Many Blessings . . . Name Them One by One!

Or one could state, "Count Your Many Blessings . . . List Them One By One. Keep in line with our Thanksgiving Adventure theme, I've decided to enumerate the various blessings we received today.

>()>  Our upstairs bathroom floor is scheduled to be repaired and a new floor put down Saturday. We're thrilled. Pray for a good color. :)

>()>  We do Freecycle. Received office supply items from a sister-in-Christ who I met several months ago. As I walked up her sidewalk, she held out her arms and gave me a huge hug. Was surprised but deeply touched by her kindness.

>()>  Was able to bless another person on Freecycle with some Christian books which also included a brand new Bible that Rob had received when he was at The Cove for training last year. This person will be giving these items to her friend out in Colorado in a few weeks. 

>()>  At the library, Christine asked if we could check out the VHS, "Pocahontas, Her True Story. We looked at the downstairs rack and was unable to locate it. On her second time looking, Christine found it and was very joyous in her discovery. A side note, our dear friends down in Chesterfield are descendants of Pocahontas.

>()>  Christine was able to use her Qdoba gift from Mrs. Swauger, her CC Tutor. :)

>()>  Was able to drop off some Dr. Sears' baby books along with a Grace Ketterman book to Bethany Christian services. This made me feel good knowing these books that I had used when Christine was a baby would some how help new moms or adoptive moms now.  I felt like I was walking on air after I dropped them off.

>()>  Christine reviewed the majority of her CC Memory Work while we did errands. I said, "wow that was quick and accurate." Her quick reply was, "yes, Mom that is what CC kids do." Oh we're quite please and proud of her desire to learn. Thankful we were able to utilize our time in the car while doing errands. 

<()>  Was able to get family Thanksgiving cards in the mail.  Had purchase a set last year but was unable to mail them. Delighted that God allowed me to find them last week while looking for another item.  God's timing is always perfect!

>()>  Specific and quick answers to pray while shopping for items for our Thanksgiving dinner. We're aiming to eat more healthier, thus creativity comes into play. Likewise, extra patience on Christine's part as I read labels and compare prices.

>()>  Able to surprise Rob with some hot chocolate tonight at work. He had a busy night being the only salesman in the Mazda building.

>()>  Thankful we were able to express what we're thankful while traveling about doing our errands today.  Thankful we were able to accomplish what we had set out to do and God provided safe travel all day.

It's late so I must conclude this posting. Yet will continue to "Count My Blessings, Name Them One by One!"

Jesus, we just want to thank You!

Psalm 100 

An Adventure In Thanksgiving

Last night during our family devotional, our focus was on preparing our hearts for Thanksgiving. Earlier in the day at church, we had a "Thanksgiving Praise Celebration." So it was fitting to continue the theme in our time together as a family.

Doesn't our world have it all wrong? Thanksgiving Day becomes a mere, "speed bump," on our way to Christmas. Christians are equally as guilty. Why not, go against culture and make this Thanksgiving a time of reflection, praise and thanksgiving. 

Soon we will begin advent, why not have an adventure in Thanksgiving and count down the days actually reading God's Word, recalling His promises, and singing praises back to Him.  Our family is committed to doing exactly that.

Sunday morning in church, Pastor Craig shared that "praise," and "thanksgiving," do not have the same meaning.  Praise's direction is outward towards God, while thanksgiving's direction is more inward towards us. For example, the things we are thankful for that generally affect us. Even during our devotional time, Christine had remembered this from the morning message which made both Rob and I smile. 

The passage we used in our devotional was found in I Chronicles 16:8-12 (Amplified Bible) ~

(8)   O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make 

known His doings among the peoples!

(9)    Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them!

(10)   Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

(11)    See the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!

(12)   [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds which He has done. His miracles, and the judgments He uttered [as in Egypt].

So at the conclusion of my day, I checked out some blogs of friends and came across two postings from a friend's blog, "Twilight Vespers."   

On Thursday, November 20th, Rochelle posted 2 entries, one, "Thanksgiving Blessing Mix," and the other, "Giving Thanks."  I'm all for not reinventing the wheel. Please take the time to read both entries.  The first one is something you can make to eat while the second one is an excellent article for you to ponder.  Please click here.

Let's ready ourselves for an adventure in Thanksgiving!

Thank you my sweet friend, Cindy!

I think each of us when we view this picture will think of a friend or friends who perhaps represent the essence of this picture.  Wouldn't you agree? Today has been one of those emotional days particularly this afternoon and this evening.

I had stayed up extra late putting the finishing touches on Christine's display board for her presentation on the Underground Railroad. Naturally, this put me at risk for my emotions to be out of sync. Plus other concerns had overtaken me and I was in need of a friend and prayer.

So I called my friend, Cindy to confirm a date that we would be getting together. She answered the phone, "hello friend."  The tears could no longer be restrained and just overflowed. Cindy listened with love. 

In my tears, I asked Cindy to pray for me.  She did without any hesitation. God's peace began to calm me down and He used my dear friend as a reminder of His great comfort that is available any time day or night.  

Interesting enough, Cindy is a blond just like this little girl who is hugging her friend in the above picture. Through the phone line I felt her love and concern for me and my family. I so appreciate dear friends and wanted to share this blessing with each of you.

These blessings are poignant reminders of our Heavenly Father's love for each of us. I am indeed thankful for the body of Christ particular dear sisters in Christ.

When Rob arrived home from work, we discussed the events of our day.  I shared about my day and that I'd been emotional.  We sat at our kitchen table conversing and God used my husband as well to encourage me at the conclusion of this emotional day.  

As he headed up stairs, Rob gently reminded me that a small portion of the emotional equation is the upcoming holidays. Both my parents are in Heaven and I particularly miss my Mom during the Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration. As a tribute to her, I have the luxury and honor to make wonderful memories with my sweet daughter, Christine and my incredible husband, Rob.

Indeed dear family members and friends are God's wonderful love gifts to us. They are tangible reminders of our Heavenly Father's love for us. 

A Favorite Family Memory

At Thanksgiving, wonderful memories permeate my heart and mind. Of course, having an inquisitive daughter helps. Christine loves for me to tell her stories about my Mom, her "Georgia Ruth," and my grandmother, "Grandma Bell." She enjoys hearing about these precious family members whom she never met, but loves them all the same.

As parents, Rob and I can share memories from our childhood along with making memories of our own. I am grateful for Rob's family and for my brothers and their families.

Recently I discovered the above picture and immediately my mind was transported back to my childhood days with my Grandma Pitt (alias Grandma Bell) on their farm in Vanoss, Oklahoma. We spent a great deal of time with them especially during the holidays.  Oftentimes, we would ride the train from Houston to Oklahoma to visit both sets of grandparents. Oh what incredible and fond memories my brothers and I have.

After my Dad passed away, we needed to get his house prepared to sell, Christine and I flew to down to Houston to help my brothers with that task. While there, we made an impromptu trip to Okmulgee, Oklahoma to see Aunt Mom (our late Mom's sister, Louise).

The participants in this adventure were my older brother, Keith along with Kim, my younger brother's wife and their young son, Alex.  Keith is the life of the party no matter the location. Indeed he is one of a kind.  He has a zest for life and a keen sense of humor.

We arrived in Okmulgee and settled in with Aunt Mom who at that time was living in one of the Baptist Retirement Centers in Oklahoma.  The next day, we went out to lunch at one of those quaint diners in the center of town. While having lunch, Keith got this brilliant idea that we needed to take another road trip.  This time the destination would be to my grandparent's old home place in Vanoss.  Interesting enough, our aunt agreed to this outing and voila we left on our adventure.  As we were leaving the restaurant, Keith remarked to me that this may be the only time Aunt Louise would have an opportunity to see where she and our Mom had grown up.  Oh Keith was so right.  About two years later, she went home to be with the Lord.

As to why we call Aunt Louise, "Aunt Mom," so glad you asked?  She never had any children so when our Mom died in 1985, she lovingly became Aunt Mom to my brothers and myself along with our spouses and children.  What an incredible lady she was.   Perhaps I'll have more to share about her in another posting. 

Back to our adventure that day.  Only Keith can drive across Central Oklahoma in one day and it seem like a short trip. As we were traveling, Aunt Louise shared so many vivid details of her childhood.  Once there, you could see how much this meant to her.  Plus it allowed Kim and Christine to have a glimpse of what my brothers and I had experienced in our childhood.  

Keith saw that Aunt Louise was getting tired so we headed home.  Please keep in mind, that with Keith at the wheel, there will be a possibility of an extra stop. We stopped in Stafford which is famous for their peaches.  Keith wasn't content with getting peaches.  Oh no, he had to buy a watermelon, a huge one I might add.  Then he immediately named it, "Willard.'  Oh the laughter we had talking about Willard as if the watermelon were an actual person.  We all laughed so much that as we were driving through one of those very small communities Keith forgot to slow down and soon we were stopped by one of the local policeman.  My aunt being the neat lady suggested we pray that Keith would receive grace and not be given a ticket.  When Keith got back into the vehicle, he shared that he only received a warning.  So we headed back to Louise's place for dinner.  

Keith took a lot of pictures that day and Christine has a reservoir of memories to draw from. On the way back to Texas, of course, we did not take the most direct route.  We took a scenic route which my older brother is notorious for doing.  Upon our arrival to my younger brother's home, we had to introduce John to Willard. Keith's wife, Mary shared with us after we returned home to Virginia that Willard was a rather tough watermelon.  Of course, Christine and I a belly laugh about that and had to bring Rob up to speed about who Willard was.

Isn't our Heavenly Father wonderful to allow us to remember those treasured moments we have with our family members?  I am.

Imagine with me the celebration we will have as believers when we are gathered together at the banqueting table with Christ.

God is good all the time!